The Morning I Couldn’t Delete the Alarm

After losing her father, Seojin still couldn’t delete the hospital alarm. She brings a morning where getting ready for work and saying goodbye overlap to her counselor.

Even after her father passed away, Seojin hears the hospital alarm at eight every morning. She joins meetings at work as if nothing is wrong, but the hand reaching to delete the repeating alarm always stops. In front of her counselor, she speaks about why for the first time.

When your hand stops every morning

After a loss, an ordinary alarm or familiar item can overlap with time spent alongside the person who is gone.

What object do you most often stop at while getting ready in the morning?

The moment her hand stopped over the alarm stayed with me. I saw getting ready for work and saying goodbye overlapping there all at once. I’d like to hear from anyone going through a similar morning, starting with the place where their hand stopped.

Scenes

• 01 · A Ringing Morning A Ringing Morning — Even after her father passed away, the alarm on Seojin’s phone rang at eight every morning.
• 02 · Hallway before the meeting Hallway before the meeting — Before the alarm had even stopped, Minho approached from the end of the hallway and asked about the nine o’clock meeting materials. Minho: Seojin, could we look over the materials for the nine o’clock meeting together? Seojin: Yes, I’ll be right there.
• 03 · Fingertips Gone Still Fingertips Gone Still — Seojin sees that the same hospital alarm is still set to ring tomorrow morning. Her finger doesn’t move above the delete icon. Minho: Seojin, the meeting’s starting. Seojin: Yes.
• 04 · The First Words She Spoke The First Words She Spoke — Only after coming to the counseling room does Seojin say that every day, she tried to delete the alarm but stopped. Seojin: I tried to delete it, but I couldn’t bring myself to touch it. Onyu: Seojin, after the alarm rang, where did your hand go first?